IT is a group of 'New Beginnings' – in name and also in practice - as a growing number of adults, all with different learning disabilities, are seeing their lives radically transformed through football.
The New Beginnings football group - the result of an innovative partnership between Belfast Trust occupational therapists and Street Soccer NI – is changing lives at grassroots level, according to learning disability coordinator for the project, Conor Owens.
Conor, who started working with Street Soccer NI after being asked to set up a football match for homeless people in north Belfast 10 years ago, says the group – one of several projects run by the soccer charity – will be reaching out to even more players in 2023.
"We recently set up the Dunville Cup tournament for the LD (Learning Disability) project which involves a number of different charities, including Action Ability and the Now group," he says.
"We set this up for local disability charities and it has proved a real success. The plan now is to try to increase the numbers to about six or more local charities and make the tournament even bigger next year.
"In winter, we do our training indoors, in the New Life City Church in Northumberland Street - situated on the Shankill side of the Peace Wall - and then, in summer, we move 500 yards away to Dunville Park on the Falls Road.
"We thought it would be good to train for part of the year in one community and then move to the other because the LD project is for everyone, no matter what their religious or cultural background. Everyone is just united by football."
First mooted in 2017 by Belfast occupational therapists trying to develop something that would help clients engage more with their community, an initial team of just six players was created with the help of Street Soccer NI.
Then, as the project took off, the roll call steadily increased, with New Beginnings now catering for 22 football enthusiasts in two separate weekly groups.
Jenny Toland, interim occupational therapy manager for learning disability within the Belfast Trust, has been involved with New Beginnings from the outset and is involved with the development group where service users may require additional support or have more complex needs.
"The idea is to get participants more engaged in their communities and at the same time improve their confidence and well-being so they can move forward and attend the other group where there is a little less support," she explains.
"There is a great sense of teamwork and camaraderie between the two groups who play five-a-side football every week and also go on social outings and trips away together.
"The benefits to individuals have been amazing - our own OT assessments show improvements in lots of different areas including motivation, motor and processing skills and concentration and while we started out with an emphasis on health and well-being, the group has gone above and beyond, also helping teams members get part-time work and attend coaching courses run by the IFA."
For service user Christopher Millar from Belfast, the project has been a social lifeline, as well as a means of indulging a life-long love of football with others who play sport with a disability.
As well as having been diagnosed with a learning disability from a young age, Christopher (39) is blind in his left eye and has suffered from poor mental health over the years.
"I have always enjoyed football – I've played football all my life – and this group is a real lifeline for me," he says.
"Since being involved with Street Soccer, I have really come out of my shell and my mental health has definitely not been as bad.
"I've been with the disability group since the early days and I think getting out and meeting new people definitely helps with that. It gets you out of the house and helps clear your mind and helps you to talk to people and make new friends. You can have a laugh as well as playing football which is important."
As well as playing as part of a team, Christopher has also completed various coaching badges through Street Soccer and when he 'retires' from the game, he hopes to concentrate on his coaching skills.
"I'm able to coach now, which is great," he says, "but I haven't had the courage yet to set up a team of my own. I haven't reached that point yet, but I hope I will in the near future."
Project coordinator Conor – another coach, Terry Moore, also works with the disability soccer group - believes this is an ideal way for Christopher to stay connected with his Street Soccer friends, even if his playing days are over.
"Christopher is very active with the group, but he was talking about retiring, so having now completed his disability badges, coaching would be a great way for him to stay connected with the game - and with us," Conor points out.
"It is one way of getting around the problem of how we actually support the guys after they have stopped playing, because the social support is as necessary as the skills training and fitness.
"I have found the simple things, like having a cup of tea together or just a chat, plays a huge role, off the pitch. One of the players lost his mum during Covid, so for him, having that regular support network, brought a sense of purpose and routine back into his life.
"I have also seen players come with very limited ability and, before long, they are running around the pitch with a remarkable, new lease of life."
Outings so far have included trips to the beach, a tour of Windsor Park, a 'food crawl' in search of the best fish and chips in Belfast and a tour of Old Trafford in Manchester to watch a Premier League match between Manchester City and Hull in 2018.
Even Covid didn't stop activities, with weekly 'check-ins' taking place via Zoom and a programme of quizzes, guest speaker talks and online fitness classes organised by Conor to ensure team morale remained high.
"It's strange – I probably see these guys more than I see my own friends and family," he adds, "but I have always seen football as a great way of bringing people together and we have created a great wee friendship group here.
"Football is one of those games that is universal, in a way, and one of those activities that everyone knows and understands. Because of that, we continually have new people joining, but we also have people who will be here for life because they have benefited so much from having a common goal – to have that pride and identity of representing a team, to play well and to have fun and just enjoy each other's company."
:: The New Beginnings group runs weekly group sessions each Thursday. For more information contact Conor Owens on 079 7189 5746 or visit streetsoccerni.org
